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Smith: Profession a calling for Georgia tight ends coach

Religion in sport brings about a lot of raised eyebrows. Some suggest that there is rampant insincerity involved, and that a lot of phonies stand up and take bows.

Loran

Smith

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Many of us have been exposed to fraudulent spiritual testimony, and the thing that has always troubled me is that I don't believe God takes sides in football games. There are many times when I've been in locker rooms where post-game prayers gave thanks to the Almighty for victory.

At the same time, less than three first downs away, in the opponent's locker room the prayer from a representative of the vanquished team asked for forgiveness for letting God down.

Whatever is good or negative about religion in sport, the fact is that a lot of coaches and team officials promote an emphasis on things spiritual. I don't have a problem with that. Spiritual emphasis does underscore a positive attitude for the team, and who could be against that?

One of the assistant coaches at Georgia who has strong spiritual leanings is tight ends coach David Johnson. He is not a lot of talk. He has a firm commitment to what he believes in.

While coaching is important, family comes first in his life. He and his wife, Lynn, teach a young couples Sunday school class which doesn't surprise anybody who knows them.

A native of Pittsburgh, Dave had a good life growing up in the steel city, a town where sports were important to the entire community.

The Pirates were special, and they were winning with Roberto Clemente, the superstar who tragically died in an airplane crash while on a mission of mercy.

The Steelers had yet to win a Super Bowl in Dave's time, but it was fun to watch the NFL entry whenever he could find a ticket. Like everybody else in Pittsburgh, he had deep affection for the Steeler patriarch, Art Rooney. ''A good man,'' he said, ''great for the community.''

Football is Dave's game now, but growing up, he wanted to play baseball and it was confirmed in his mind that he would be a big leaguer after he struck out 18 batters in a no-hit performance.

There were many times when he would meet his dad for Pirates games, Dave coming from home after school and his dad coming from work. That was a weekly ritual in the summers. There were trips to Forbes Field in the spring, but he pretty much had to confine games to weekend dates.

He enjoyed football energetically and enthusiastically. He even appreciated practice. But there was a bonus in his relationship with the game. His coaches made him develop a sincere taste for football to the extent that he knew what he wanted to do in life. He wanted to coach and he made a commitment early on.

Whatever wisdom he has gained in his professional life, he wants to impart what he has learned on those he coaches.

''I actually believe that coaching is a calling and I decided long ago that is what I wanted to do,'' he said.

Athletes need direction and a coach can make a difference. That is why he has the greatest regard to those who coach and teach on the high school level.

''You want to enjoy success,'' he said, ''and you should try to experience as many victory celebrations as possible, but there are many things you can experience other than winning and losing, especially with your players.''

After high school, Johnson received an athletic scholarship to play football for West Virginia. Located only an hour from Pittsburgh, Morgantown was a positive experience for him.

If you bring up the Peach Bowl, he starts grinning broadly. Heavy underdogs for the game against Florida, West Virginia dominated the game, winning 26-6 in 1981. So he knows what it is like to beat the Gators.

After that bowl game there was more shock on the way for a Mountaineer opponent. Opening the 1982 season in Norman, Oklahoma, West Virginia again was a lowly underdog, but it was the Sooners who were in for a big shock.

The Mountaineers won 41-27.

Dave regards himself a teacher and considers his work a high calling. Helikes what Paul Brown,longtime coach of the Cleveland Browns and Cincinnati Bengals once said.

Brown said being the head coach of the Massilon, Ohio High School team was the best job he ever had.

''I was dealing with young minds'' Brown said. ''I could do some good for the world.''

Dave Johnson is dealing with young minds, and he, too, is doing some good for the world.

Loran Smith is executive secretary of the Georgia Bulldog Club and a contributing columnist to the Athens Banner-Herald.E-mail: virna@sports.uga.edu.